"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." - Proverbs 22:3
We hear much talk of the coming computer crash in the year 2000 (Y2K). While this is a potential disaster that may merit consideration, I believe that it does not even scrape the surface of the troubles that Christians will face in the Tribulation that is soon to come. Surviving Y2K, in the worst sense, may not take anymore than stockpiling a few of the necessities which are needed to maintain the wasteful and spoiled lifestyles that we have grown so accustomed to here in the United States. Food, a power generator, a kerosene heater, a few extra months rent... Some are selling their possessions and moving to self-sufficient communities. Others are preparing for an extra large catastrophy by taking to the hills - which perhaps is a safe thing to do in light of current events.
If the Lord tarries, we might find ourselves right smack in the middle of the Tribulation. It is also becoming increasingly likely that we could face war with Russia. Society will, in their fury, turn and blame Christians (as they always have!) for the economy, for the chaos...the list goes on and on. At any rate, the world is preparing another bloodbath for the soon-to-be martyrs of Jesus Christ. We will no longer have houses to store our canned foods in. We will no longer have need of a generator in the back yard or the shed, because we will not even be able to hold a job without taking the mark of the beast (or another form of socialist ID)! Of course, if you rationalize taking the mark (for any reason whatsoever), you might as well come out of the woods and party like there's no tommorrow, because you are unconditionally hellbound.
The Christian remnant will go from a lifestyle of luxury to one of raw survival in a day. It is so very hard to speculate the many conditions that will be present that day. Neighbors and perhaps even families will be turning in Christians to the forces of Antichrist. There will be nowhere to hide. A Christian that wishes to stay alive will literally have to disappear from off the face of the earth. Many that live in cities will have to defend their families face-to-face with the forces of evil. The Bible even says that Antichrist will overcome the saints. But that doesn't mean that there will be no survivors, but rather that the majority of the saints will be killed. You don't have to be in the majority if you are prepared.
The flip-side of the coin is that a Christain should never be afraid to die. Death is a good thing and a blessing for the believer, because he goes straight from this world to the throne room of God Almighty! But while we are here we must use our lives as God would have us to, and be good stewards of the family He has given us. These times will be the ultimate test of faith, as the Christian will be totally dependent on God for his most basic needs. But we are not to fear or worry, because God will supply our needs.
Every scripture has meaning. But when taken out of context, men can justify just about anything. This is an honest look at what the Bible says about the shedding of blood in the context of everyday society, and defending yourself and the ones you love during the Tribulation and other forms of persecution.
Some will advocate blowing up every abortion clinic in the continenal U.S., while others would sit idly "turning the other cheek" and let their Christian Comrads be injured or watch someone rape and murder the ones they love. I believe that we need to find ourselves somewhere in the middle.
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." - Phil. 4:5
I feel like the Lord would have me to say this. We should be able to turn the other cheek when we are "smitten." This makes us humble, and therefore Jesus told us to do so. We are not to swell up with pride and repay evil for evil, but to show others our humility, dedication to Christ, and the extent that we will go to show our love for them. Don't take revenge, God will do it for you if you deserve it.
In a matter of life of death, such as against a hardened criminal or soldier, we are obligated to defend others, as well as ourselves. The only reason Jesus came to earth was to die for our sins. He gave us a commission to live for Him by praising Him and winning souls. We are not to love our lives or the world we live in, but we are to abide daily in Him. Jesus came to die, we are here to live.
We Have an Obligation to Defend Others
If you claim to care about someone, but yet can still let an outsider harrass/bully/injure/kill them, you are lying to yourself - it doesn't matter what your excuse is! It doesn't fool anyone else. People can tell whether or not someone is genuinely concerned or just people-pleasing to be accepted by the crowd. Be honest in the way you love your family. Stop doing favors to gain acceptance and start standing up for them in front of others. Again, moderation is the rule! If we have the ability to stop another from being physically harmed we are obligated to do so, as this is true selflessness.
"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" - 1 Tim. 5:8
"And it was given unto him [the Antichrist] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them..." - Rev. 13:7
The Word of Our Lord was written with war in mind! Throughout the entire Bible, we hear constantly of swords, battle, the Armor of God, judgement, etc. This is because the very nature of God is strength, and when His Son returns to Earth, He will judge the nations and peoples. People will live by His laws, His rules, all done His way - exactly the way it should have been to begin with! I can guarantee you that it will not be democracy, but justice. Because democracy is the best that a human society can do, it is all we have to work with in this world. But we have seen (and are seeing) that when sinful men are the majority, democracy becomes more wicked than righteous. We should fight to establish a nation based soley on Godly principles.
4 classes exempt from war (Deut. 20:5-8):
Death Penalty Crimes (partial listing from O.T.)
